


chariot

by theprodigypenguin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Action, Angst, Auror James Sirius Potter, Auror Partners, Auror Teddy Lupin, Blood, Blood and Injury, Coughing Blood, Curses, Feral, Feral!Teddy, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Overprotective, Protective, Violence, Whump, Wizengamot, beast mode, black outs, blacking out and kicking ass, internal bleeding, james sirius potter x teddy lupin, jeddy, overpowered character?, slightly overpowered Teddy but he deserves it, stunning spell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprodigypenguin/pseuds/theprodigypenguin
Summary: Two months into working in the Aurors and James gets badly injured, leaving his Auror partner Teddy to deal with the rest of the ambush on his own.title inspire by the song "chariot" by jacob lee
Relationships: Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter
Comments: 11
Kudos: 66





	chariot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beedragony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beedragony/gifts).



> So I couldn't write this A/N in the morning when I posted this fic because I was late for work, but I wanted to post it asap because it's a gift for bkhijk. This fic was inspired by their art of Teddy going feral when James is wounded during an Auror mission. They probably knew I was writing this because I kept slipping into their DMs asking very specific questions, but I wanted to be sure I wrote this EXACTLY how they'd like it. I think it's both of our dream to see Teddy go beast mode to protect James, and I suppose people could say I overpowered Teddy buuuut I do not care.
> 
> In my opinion, Teddy is the most powerful wizard of his generation, probably the most powerful wizard since Dumbledore, and that headcanon makes me so happy I can't even explain. I get so giddy and bubbly when I think of Teddy being able to kick ass but holding back because he's a gentleman and doesn't care about power, he's just vibin.
> 
> Anyway yes, one of my favorite headcanons is Teddy going absolute batshit and nearly murdering people when they hurt his love, but I didn't think I'd be able to write him going feral the right way. Until B drew that picture and inspired me, and then I HAD to write it. So even if it's not good, I wrote this as a gift for B, and so long as they like it, that's all that matters QwQ
> 
> Just a lil drabble dude for their enjoyment (even though it ended up being like 7k words long yeet). I like how I ended it too, but who knows, maybe B will inspire me to write more in this fic later.
> 
> Also a side note, the song "chariot" is a super lovely song, and tbh in the beginning I saw it as Teddy singing to James, but now It's been a few hours I realize it's perfect for James to sing it to Teddy. Absolutely stunning.

The cool air of evening was closing in on Teddy as he stood partway behind the trunk of a tree. Even pulling his cloak tighter did little against the chill, and he pressed himself against the tree as if it would act like a decent barrier against the bracing breeze. Despite how the cold threatened to break his concentration, Teddy fought to keep his focus on the two storied building located beyond the outcropping of trees where he’d hidden himself.

In the daytime it looked like a generic abandoned building. The walls were tall and the paint was peeling. A few of the windows had been shattered, though shards of angry looking glass were still stuck firmly in the pane, like teeth baring down at the Auror in a leering grin.

As the light fell behind the building, it became more daunting. Shadows stretched out across the lawn, where weeds had taken over in a tangle of bushes and thorns. The vines crawling along the ruined walls of the mansion looked like veins, and the shadows gave the unnerving impression that they were pulsing with blood.

Part of the thatched roof had collapsed on one side, and the front doors were hanging by their rusted hinges. It was a decrepit and wretched corpse of once grand architecture, and staring at it as the sun set made Teddy feel uncomfortable.

He supposed he should’ve been used to the eeriness that came from being sent on missions like this. He’d been an Auror for years after all. This wasn’t the first time he’d been sent to stake out an abandoned building based on vague information gathered from less than credible sources. It wouldn’t be the last time either. Yet this time it was different, and somehow he could feel it.

There was something in the air that had the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Like electricity. A soft breeze passed from behind, and he quickly cast an anxious look over his shoulder while fighting the shiver that threatened to break down his spine. There was nothing there, but he still stared into the trees that went for miles. The forest was getting darker now, overwhelmed by shadows that looked like broken fingers clawing at the earth.

“How long have we been out here?” A voice asked in a whisper, and Teddy was reminded that he wasn’t alone.

He turned back around, glancing at where James Potter was leaning against the tree beside him, peering around the trunk and staring down at the building. He was dressed in similar robes as Teddy. Black pants that formed to his legs and heavy duty dragon skin boots secured with buckles. His shirt was dark gray, and his Auror’s coat was a deep shade of red. The end of it fell to James’ ankles, and dragged against the dirt because of the way James was crouching. The front of the coat was left undone and open, showing the wand holster at his right thigh, though the wand was in his hand.

There was no visible sign that he worked at the Ministry, but there was a single stripe of silver on both sleeves as well as the collar of his coat, symbolizing the fact he was an entry level Auror. As a matter of fact, James was only about two months in. Though he’d been training to be an Auror for a few years now, he’d only recently graduated and joined the Ministry. Teddy had no qualms about working with James, and James had been delighted at the decided partnership, claiming there was no one else he’d rather work with.

They’d been on a few missions before this, and things always went smoothly. Teddy had years of experience by now, and James was incredibly talented. Though he never gave up the habit of snarkiness and jokes even on a mission, he did know when he needed to be serious and pay attention to the job at hand. Which was a relief, because being an Auror could be dangerous. James had a lighthearted air about him, but Teddy had noticed that when they were in the thick of it, his entire demeanor would change on axis.

He stuck to Teddy like glue, and with James at his back, when they got in the occasional duel against dark wizards, not one hex or curse managed to so much as brush Teddy’s shoulder. James was too quick to let it happen, ferocious when someone dared try to harm his partner. It was incredible to watch actually, and sometimes left Teddy feeling flustered. Especially at the end of it when James was looking at him _like that,_ asking if he was okay or if he got hurt.

As if Teddy _wasn’t_ the senior Auror in their duo.

Merlin. Teddy had known James since he’d been born, but he was still discovering new things about him. Working with him like this was a little different than growing up with him after all. James was his childhood friend, his best friend, but even then Teddy had never expected James to be so, well, good at his job.

Maybe because sometimes Teddy still saw James as the scrawny eleven year old who trailed after him through the Hogwarts halls, demanding they spend time together. Maybe because sometimes Teddy still saw James as a cocky fourteen year old who’d just helped win the Quidditch Cup and wouldn’t shut _up_ about it. Or maybe it was because he still saw James as a devastated sixteen year old who wouldn’t stop crying no matter how much Teddy _swore_ what happened to Albus wasn’t his fault _at all._

James had always been some form of kid in Teddy’s eyes, because he wasn’t always there while James was growing up. There was a six year age gap between them. For much of James’ childhood and teen years, Teddy had been busy studying to enter the Ministry as an Auror or dealing with his own personal problems that he didn’t think James was old enough to help him with. Which certainly wasn’t James’ fault. Teddy just wanted to look after him and be the role model so many people expected him to be.

Now, though, after working with James for a little over two months, Teddy was starting to see a new side of him. James was still his usual, playful, rather eccentric self, but there was a maturity and wisdom about him that always surprised Teddy. As if James had grown up in the millisecond of Teddy blinking his eyes; because James wasn’t a kid anymore. He was twenty-one and one of the best Auror’s they had. Even the Head Auror said so. She said that partnering James with Teddy would make them an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, and so far that claim had been correct.

They worked effortlessly, fluidly together, the same way they’d been doing for their entire lives. It was fun to work with his best friend, and more than that, it was eye opening. The pride that Teddy felt whenever he watched James duel or figure out some difficult situation was overwhelming. Sometimes he would find himself simply staring at James, in awe of him, because when did he go from being a goofy kid to being an intelligent young man?

Even then, sometimes Teddy still felt anxious; the way he felt now. He wasn’t sure why, because it wasn’t like he didn’t trust James. In situations like this, James was the person he _did_ trust. Yet there was still a nagging at the back of his mind that made him keep one eye on James, a voice saying that if he looked away for too long, something might happen. He liked working with James, and he knew James could take care of himself, but the past few weeks he’d been worrying more and more about the what ifs.

If something happened and James ended up getting hurt —

Teddy quickly shut his eyes and cut the thought off midway, shaking his head before focusing back on the house. “A couple of hours,” Teddy answered James’ initial question, panning his eyes to each of the windows before ducking back behind the tree and looking over at James.

For a moment he couldn’t breathe, simply staring at the other Auror. James’ hair was a bit longer than regulation normally allowed. The Head Auror probably didn’t say anything because of who James’ father was. He kept it tame though, the loose auburn curls combed back neatly and tucked behind his ears. His fringe fell to his brush the tops of his eyebrows, and the back curled just at the collar of his shirt. His brown eyes looked dark against the shadows, but a single streak of dying light had managed to cut through the tree branches and cross James’ face at the perfect angle. His eyes were illuminated from a deep chocolate to a shocking gold, and the freckles across his face made him look jarringly beautiful.

_Beautiful?_

Teddy turned his head away to stare at the trunk of the tree, white noise buzzing unhelpfully in his ears.

“Nothing’s happening,” James was muttering. “Do you think we were given bad information?” Teddy didn’t respond immediately, but he didn’t have to as James shifted closer. “Wait, I spoke too soon.”

Teddy snapped back to the present, leaning closer to James to peer across at the house. Lights had gone on in one of the windows, flickering as if it was from a fire. Teddy hadn’t even seen anyone approach the house, but someone had gotten inside. Had they been there the entire time? He didn’t hear a crack of apparition, and the floo network wasn’t connected to any of the chimneys at this particular location.

“Stay low and stay close,” Teddy ordered James, waiting for the nod of understanding before creeping out from behind the tree.

They approached the window first, but couldn’t see much through the glass. It was so dirty and caked with dust, and Teddy didn’t want to risk trying to wipe any of it off. So he cocked his head to the side to silently motion to the door, inching towards it as quietly as possible with James following dutifully at his heels.

It wasn’t difficult to get inside. The doors were just hanging open, so the most they had to do was wriggle between them. The hinges didn’t even squeak. He lifted his wand once he was inside, not yet wanting to use a _lumos_ for fear of alerting whoever was inside. The light was pouring out of the door directly across from them. Teddy didn’t bother taking the time to admire the decomposing decor of the entry as he waved a hand at James, creeping forward.

Inside showed an expansive area that must have been a ballroom at some point. A grand staircase led down to the floor, once beautiful white marble but now grey and cracked in places. An inviting fire was burning high in the walk-in fireplace down on the floor, lighting the room and sending shadows dancing across the floor, but Teddy couldn’t see any people sneaking around.

The vacancy made him feel even more uncomfortable, and he entered the room cautiously, looking back and forth with his wand held defensively, a spell at the tip of his tongue. The further he got into the room, the more uncomfortable he felt, until he paused at the top of the steps, turning a slow circle in confusion.

He and James stood in silence for a long time, before James gaped at Teddy. “There’s no one here.”

As if on queue, as if that was exactly what they’d been waiting for, Teddy heard a series of curses directed towards them. He barked a counter and managed to diffuse most of the spells, dodging the ones he couldn’t stop and watching as the light cut deep into the floor and the stairs around him.

When he turned back around he saw a cloaked figure in the corner holding out a wand. Teddy held his own up and yelled out a stunning spell that the figure deflected into the wall. Everything was happening so fast. Spells were flying overhead, and it didn’t take long for Teddy to realize they were outnumbered; it was a trap.

Bright light hit him square in the chest, tearing a grunt from him as pain spread through him. His head spun and his eyes rolled, staggering backwards as James screamed for him. He was able to catch himself on the banister before he could fall, lifting a hand to grip his chest and focusing his eyes on the group forming around them.

One was laughing. “I’m impressed! How many stunning spells would it take to put you down, Lupin?”

They knew his name?

“Let’s find out!”

Teddy waved his wand sharply to defend against the spells they cast, before casting his own at them. He didn’t see the figure on the right in time, but he did hear James, somewhere off to the side fighting his own duel.

“Teddy!” His voice was dripping in terror, and Teddy’s eyes widened as he turned his head, thinking someone was cornering James.

Just as James flung himself forward to shield the older Auror, holding his arms wide. The light that went at him was a bright, neon purple, and it hit James directly in the sternum, so hard that he jolted from the force. He yelped, his body folding forward and his hands reaching to clutch at his chest. His wand fell from his fingers, clattering against the floor.

Everything seemed to freeze as James pressed his lips together, making a choking sound. His eyes went wide and his knees buckled, lowering a few inches but not falling to the floor. He opened his mouth, gave a cough, began to gag, and scarlet poured out. It stained his lips and splattered against the dusty ground.

Teddy gaped at James in horror as his eyes rolled, tears catching on his lashes as he wobbled on his feet. Teddy reached out to catch him, to grab his arm, but his fingers curled around air as James tipped sideways and went tumbling down the stairs onto the ballroom floor below — and he didn’t move.

For a moment, Teddy was frozen. His eyes were wide as he stared down at where James was lying. Vaguely he could hear laughter, but it was muffled and far away, so Teddy couldn’t pinpoint if the sound was a hallucination or real. His body felt numb, but there was electricity running to the tips of his fingers. He felt a shock along his skin that was almost painful, his heartbeat was so loud in his ears that he couldn’t hear anything else.

He felt another shock of pain run along the surface of his skin, but ignored it as he turned slowly to face their ambushers. He was conscious enough to count them, seven people draped in cloaks. They were frozen; if they’d been laughing before, they had stopped now. Their wands were pointed directly at Teddy’s chest, but they weren’t moving or attacking. Under their hoods, Teddy could make out startled, frightened eyes, but for the life of him he couldn’t imagine why they’d be afraid of him. Considering it was seven to one. Considering they’d just attacked his partner.

Teddy let out an exhale that seemed to shake the walls — the dust on the floor curled away from him. The seven hoods were blown off as if there was a legitimate breeze going through the hall. Teddy didn’t pay attention to it, and he didn’t care to memorize the terrified faces now fully visible to him. He didn’t care about what they looked like, as it really didn’t matter.

A man on the right lifted their wand sharply and snapped out a spell. _“Stupefy!”_

A jet of red light came at Teddy, jarring him in the shoulder. His body jerked, and the familiar sensation of electricity traveled across his skin. It was slightly painful and uncomfortable, but it just made him angrier. It was mildly inconvenient and made him seethe in fury, glaring at the wizard who’d shot the spell at him.

The same man who’d hurt James.

Teddy focused his full attention on him, turning his head and snarling.

“You,” someone was speaking, and Teddy couldn’t recognize the voice, but the painful grating of his throat alerted that _he_ was the one talking. _“Bastard.”_

He could feel electricity on his skin again, but it wasn’t from a stunning spell that time. Teddy didn’t know what it was from, he was too angry to care. The same wizard who’d attacked James seemed to grow desperate, teeth bared and eyes wide as he lifted his trembling wand higher.

“You’re a bloody demon!”

He shrieked a spell. Teddy lifted his wand hand up. The counter was in his head, but he didn’t hear himself speak that time. It was more like he willed the spell to work, and the light was stopped just centimetres from Teddy’s wand tip, disappearing with a puff. The man gave a squeak of surprise and staggered backwards as Teddy started towards him.

Energy was pulsing in his veins to the point of painful discomfort. Teddy’s breath was coming short, making him feel lightheaded. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything but how angry he was. He kept seeing the purple flash of light hit James, and his rage elevated. One step forward had the stone floor shattering under his shoe, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the magic cycling through him or the fact the building was ancient.

Something told him it was his magic, though. He felt out of control, his head was spinning, and the curse he shot at the wizard came a little too easily. He didn’t know what he yelled, but a bright white light crashed into the man’s chest. His eyes rolled as he was thrown back, hitting the wall as he coughed, smoke billowing from his mouth and nose as he crumpled to the ground.

Teddy heard a weak noise from behind him, turning sharply to look down the stairs where James was. He seemed to be trying to move, dragging his head along the dusty floor, his eyes open but unfocused. There was blood on his lips and pooled on the floor beneath his cheek. It didn’t look like he could move very well, one hand was clutching his chest, and he was trembling. His eyes wandered higher and met Teddy’s, and he reached out his free hand. He looked scared.

Teddy tried to go down the steps, to help him, momentarily forgetting they were surrounded. The six people who were left seemed to shake from their fearful trances, casting spells at Teddy to stop him. Teddy felt the disturbance in the air before any of the attacks could hit him, spinning on his heel and holding his wand out to form a shield of blinding blue light that seemed to drink in the other spells. He then took a step closer, throwing a fist into the shield with a scream of anger.

The shield shattered, and the spells were shot back at the six wizards and witches. Four of them were able to dive out of the way, but two of them were hit and collapsed in heaps of agony.

Teddy stopped thinking after that. His anger overwhelmed him, because these people not only made James bleed, but they were trying to keep Teddy from going to him. That was unacceptable, and for a moment Teddy was blinded. He could hear of course, and he could feel, but all he could see was white light. Maybe from the spells that he was screaming. Or maybe he wasn’t saying spells at all. Maybe he was just screaming.

The sound of terrified screams, shattering glass, and cracking stone was deafening. Teddy could feel stabs of pain along his body, but his veins were pulsing with power that distracted him from any discomfort.

When he finally came back to himself, his hands were against his knees and he was gasping for breath. His wand was clenched tightly in his right fist, and his shoulders were trembling. It took a moment for his vision to steady, after blinking sweat away and lifting a hand to rub his eyes. He managed to stand straighter — every muscle was aching — and he froze when he was at full height.

The room was absolutely destroyed. The chandeliers had fallen to shatter on the floor, deep, angry scars had been blasted into the stone floor and the walls. It smelt like smoke and sulfur, and there were seven people lying hazardously around the entire room. As if someone had hit them with spells so powerful, they were thrown across the room. Teddy tasted something sour, because none of them were moving. They weren’t… dead? Were they? Did he kill them?

“Ted —”

He flinched, spinning on his heel to look down at where James was lying. He was awake now, but shaking furiously, one hand still clutching his chest. His eyes were wide and his face was deathly pale, but the look in his eyes wasn’t one of fear exactly. Well it was, it definitely was, but not for himself.

James kept trying to sit up, despite how he struggled. Teddy quickly descended the steps, dropping to his knees and folding over James.

“Jamie don’t move. Don’t move.” He wrapped an arm behind James, placing the other hand against his chest to ease him back. James leaned into the cradle of Teddy’s arm, his head lolling and his eyes still open.

The brown looked pale and his pupils were blown wide. The red on his lips was staining his chin and streaked across his right cheek, smeared with dust and making a coagulated mess of dirt and blood. He was shaking so hard that it was making Teddy tremble.

“You’re okay, I’m right here.” Teddy tried to move James’ hand away from his chest where he’d been hit by the curse. “Let me look. Let me help.”

He didn’t want to remove his arm from around James, using his wand to split the front of James’ shirt and pushing the sides apart to see his chest. There was a spot of ugly black and purple just below his sternum, and the blood James was coughing out made Teddy think there was internal bleeding. Bad internal bleeding.

“Does it hurt?” Teddy asked numbly, and James pinched his eyes closed.

Teddy felt his heart shatter in his chest as James’ body heaved with a sob. “I can’t breathe.”

“Shhh.” Teddy rubbed James’ chest before reaching into his cloak. “It’s okay, you’re okay. Here, here,” he pulled out a small vial of medicine. It was strong medicine, but Teddy was only permitted to carry a small bit of it. “Drink this, it will help you breathe better. I’m bringing you to Mungos, alright? We’re going straight there, just drink this first.”

Teddy readjusted his hold on James, propping the younger Auror’s head against his shoulder and biting the stopper from the vial, spitting it aside. James seemed reluctant to drink the tonic, turning his face against Teddy’s neck as the older man continued to coax him into taking the medicine. 

He couldn’t blame James for not wanting to drink it. He kept coughing blood, he was likely in an incredible amount of pain, but he needed to drink. It took longer than Teddy would have liked, but he did manage to move James’ head just enough to place the vial against his lips. He parted his lips just enough for Teddy to pour the entire vial into his mouth, praising him gently when James swallowed the medicine down. He cringed against it and coughed hard, and Teddy quickly wiped away the fresh blood that stained his chin.

“Tell me if it’s easier to breathe,” he chided, and James nodded weakly.

He was breathing hard, clearly having trouble, but it wasn’t as strained as it had been before. Teddy readjusted his arm around James, tucking the other behind James’ knees and lifting him off the ground.

“I’m getting you help, alright?” Teddy soothed, pressing his chin against James’ forehead and shutting his eyes. “I promise I won’t leave you. I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

He didn’t bother looking around at the room again. He didn’t need to see it, and he really didn’t care. His wand was still in his hand, and he held James closer so he could press a kiss to his forehead, disapparating from the building and leaving nothing but blood and destruction behind.

* * *

Teddy couldn’t imagine what the Healers had seen when he apparated directly into the lobby at St Mungos. He didn’t even realize it at first, but James wasn’t the only one who’d been hurt. Teddy was just so high off adrenaline that he didn’t feel the pain of his own body. Later on he was told what a mess he looked when he showed up, and how terrified he made people. It explained why it took such a long time for anyone to come forward to help.

His hair was ink black, and his eyes were blood red. His face was pale and ghostly, with a sickly yellow tinge to his cheeks. There were bruises and scrapes on his face and hands, his bottom lip was split and a perfect line of scarlet was leading down his chin and neck, staining the collar of his shirt. The right shoulder of his coat had been torn, and a wound beneath it was bleeding steadily.

He looked unsteady on his feet, half alive, barely conscious, and cradling James in his arms like he was scared of letting go. James had blacked out instantly, his head hanging over Teddy’s forearm. His right arm was over his stomach, but his left arm was hanging limply. Blood was on his mouth and the front of his torn shirt, staining his bare chest. They both looked horrible, and at first the Healers were too shocked to do anything.

Finally they all began to move at once, rushing for Teddy with wands out, reaching for James. He was the one who was unconscious, the one who needed help the most, but Teddy was reluctant to let him go. Teddy bared his teeth in a snarl when someone insisted he release the other Auror, and the Healer skittered back looking terrified.

“Mister Lupin you have to give him to us,” Teddy heard someone begging him, but couldn’t seem to focus on putting a face to the voice.

Someone tugged once on his arm and he quickly tightened his grip on James. _“Don’t!”_

His heart was hammering in his chest, panic going through him in waves. Somehow the very concept of James not being in his arms was devastating to him. He gave a full body flinch when he felt a hand grasp his elbow, the other on his back. Again he bared his teeth in a snarl, but when he looked to the right he felt himself deflate.

Scorpius was standing there, dressed in his Healer robes. His eyes were wide and his face was pale, staring at James. He seemed to be struggling internally with himself, the fear on his face fading slowly as he took a breath and looked up at Teddy.

“You have to let him go and let us take care of him, Teddy.”

“No,” Teddy snapped, and Scorpius gaped at him. “No I can’t leave him, I promised I wouldn’t leave him. I said I’d take care of him.”

“You did take care of him, you brought him here,” Scorpius squeezed Teddy’s arm, Teddy turned his head sharply when one of the nurses conjured a stretcher in front of him. “We have to get him medicine, we have to let a Healer look at him.”

Teddy nodded numbly, carefully lying James out on the stretcher. He cradled the back of his head and pressed his hand against James’ chest, panicking for a moment before he felt the steady thump against his palm. He kept a hand clenched in James’ shirt, shuffling after as the Healer’s began pulling him towards the back.

“I promised I wouldn’t leave him,” Teddy insisted, hissing through his teeth when Scorpius squeezed his wrist, prying his hand away from James’ shirt. “I have to go with him.”

“Teddy I’ll bring you to his room once they’ve stabilized him, but you’re hurt too.”

“I’m fine —”

“No you’re not! He’ll be okay, we have some of the best Healers in the world here, but you need to be patient. I need to take a look at you, you need to tell me what happened. You need healing as much as he does.”

“I can’t leave him alone.”

“Teddy —”

“What if it was Albus?!” Teddy screamed, turning to Scorpius.

The young Healer didn’t answer, but he was looking at Teddy with a shocked expression, as if that was the last thing he expected to hear. After a quick moment, Scorpius seemed to relax, and a deep understanding settled into his gentle eyes. He squeezed Teddy’s arm, nodding his head.

“How worried and upset do you think James would be if he woke up and you were still bleeding and dirty?”

Teddy felt frozen in place at the question. His eyes started to burn, and he turned his head to watch the group of five Healers pull James out of the lobby. It felt like his heart had fallen out of his chest. All of a sudden his legs felt weak, and his knees buckled. Scorpius was still clinging to his elbow and his wrist as he crumpled, sitting on the ground.

He was starting to feel the ache and pain that he’d been ignoring. His entire body seemed to be creaking, his head was throbbing painfully, and his vision was blurred with tears. Scorpius knelt down beside him, a hand on the back of his neck.

“I know, Teddy,” he said softly.

Teddy lifted a hand to cover his eyes, as if it would hide the tears, and he leaned bonelessly to the side, falling against Scorpius and breaking down completely.

* * *

James didn’t know how long he’d been in love with Teddy Lupin. At one point he just woke up and suddenly realized he couldn’t live without him, and that was it. James was confident in his heart, but there was always something keeping him from confessing.

He was afraid of ruining the relationship he had with Teddy, and their friendship was just too important to risk. He was satisfied just staying at Teddy’s side, and working with him at the Ministry was exactly where he wanted to be.

James knew it was probably a foolish wish, but he wanted to protect Teddy. It didn’t matter to him that Teddy was older and had years more experience than he did. James was still perfectly capable of protecting his partner. He proved that effortlessly at the dilapidated mansion where the seven dark wizards had attacked them.

Spells and curses were flying overhead, electricity was crackling in the air, but James saw it when one of the wizards aimed his sights on Teddy. James didn’t know what curse he shot at the Auror, but he didn’t want to take a chance. He knew he didn’t have time to counter the curse, so he didn’t bother. He threw himself in front of Teddy and held his arms out, taking it full force in the chest.

Pain wracked through him instantaneously, his vision going white as his knees gave way. He couldn’t remember much of what happened after getting hit, but he could recall opening his eyes and seeing light cracking above his head like flashes of lightning. He heard screams and curses, spells and stuttered charms. He rolled his head to the side, staring up the stairs to where Teddy was standing at the very top.

His hair was black, his eyes bloody red. He looked furious, almost demonic, and James felt a jolt of fear go through him. He didn’t like how angry Teddy was, and all he wanted to do was go comfort him, but he couldn’t move. His body wouldn’t respond to him.

So all he could do was lie there watching as Teddy savaged the seven unlucky bastards who were stupid enough to try and ambush them.

Half a dozen stunning spells hit Teddy, along with dozens of other spells. James whimpered pathetically when a cutting curse hit Teddy in the shoulder, tearing his sleeve. Blood splattered against the stairs and James choked, digging his fingers into the dusty floor. Teddy didn’t seem to notice the injury, turning his body swiftly and shooting a curse of red light into someone’s face.

James continued to fade in and out of consciousness after that. At one point he thought he could hear Teddy crying and almost woke up, but he was so tired, and everything hurt so much.

He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious when he finally began to wake up. He was lying in a soft bed and covered in blankets that felt somewhat starchy and uncomfortable. His body felt heavy, his chest felt cold, but his hand felt oddly warm and comfortable. It took him a moment to realize someone was holding his hand, and even longer to realize someone was talking.

“— crushing curse, in a way. It broke a few of his ribs and deeply damaged a few of his internal organs, which explains why he was spitting blood earlier. We reversed some of the damage, repaired what we could, and mended the broken ribs, but the scarring was very deep and will take longer to heal. He’ll need to stay here for a few days at least, and once he’s permitted to go home, he’ll still need to stay in bed and rest. He needs to take it easy, and stay on a strict schedule of tonics and elixirs.”

“What should we tell him about work?” James recognized his father’s voice, and relaxed further into the pillows. “He’ll want to know.”

“Absolutely no work,” came the strict reply. “Not for a month, maybe two. We’ll have to see how he responds to treatment.”

“He’s gonna hate that,” Harry breathed.

 _Yes,_ James thought, _I’m really gonna fucking hate that._

What was Teddy supposed to do working alone for _two months?_ This was ridiculous.

James was pulled from his thoughts when the hands wrapped around his right hand squeezed. Teddy could feel the chill of a ring on their index finger, and somehow knew who was sitting beside the bed. It made his chest warm, and he took a nervous breath in, testing to see if it would hurt.

It didn’t, the breath went in painlessly, and James sighed out in relief as he uttered the name. “Teddy…”

“James?” Teddy tightened his grip on James’ hand as James rolled his head on the pillow, peeling his eyes open.

At first he was worried about what he’d see, but Teddy looked better than what he’d expected. His lip was a little swollen, and the skin around his left eye was bruised — remnants of a black eye he imagined. His hair was no longer black, but faded to a mousy brown color that James recognized as his natural hair color. His eyes were pale blue, almost white, and he was watching James like he might break apart.

“You’re okay,” James breathed, and Teddy widened his eyes, looking stunned. “I was worried about you. Your eyes were…”

Now Teddy just looked guilty, shutting his eyes and bowing his head to bury his face against the blankets, just beside James’ hand. “You were worried about me. You… Jamie…”

His hair seemed to fade to a lighter shade of brown, then gray, and his shoulders shook a little. James couldn’t tell if he was crying or laughing, but he didn’t bother asking before lifting a hand to thread his fingers through Teddy’s hair.

“It’s good to see you awake, Mister Potter,” the Healer who’d been speaking before greeted him, and James rolled his head on the pillow to watch her and Harry walk up to the side of the bed across from Teddy.

Harry reached out to place a hand on James’ shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

Teddy sat up, rubbing his face, as if he wanted to watch James answer the question.

“I’m pretty tired,” James confessed, giving his father a crooked smile that felt nice on his face. Though it faded quickly. “What happened with the mission?”

Harry looked uncomfortable, Teddy stared down at his lap and didn’t meet James’ eye.

“Do you remember anything?” Harry asked, and James made a noise.

“Sort of. I fell down the stairs and after that… things got fuzzy.”

Harry looked at Teddy as if for clarification, and the older Auror gave a nod.

“Well, we cleaned up,” Harry explained simply. “You both did well, even if it was messy and you ended up getting cursed.” He paused, eyeing Teddy somewhat suspiciously. “The Wizengamot was rather impressed that you were able to take down seven dark wizards at once.”

Teddy winced, and James frowned. “Why was the Wizengamot involved in an Auror case?” He asked, and Harry continued to stare at Teddy before softening his gaze and focused on James.

“It was an unusual case is all.” He explained, then quickly changed the subject before James could inquire further. “The rest of the family is in the waiting room. The Healers say we can’t have more than two or three people in the room at a time, to keep you from getting too excited or overstimulated.”

“Correct,” the Healer confirmed. There was a clipboard in her hand and was watching James carefully. “You had severe internal damage and were bleeding into your stomach. We were able to repair the damage, but you need uninterrupted rest through your recovery.”

James felt exhausted at the words, frowning. “I heard,” he muttered, looking at Harry. “You’re not really gonna keep me from work, are you?”

Now Harry was the one who looked exhausted. “Did you not hear the bit where you had internal bleeding?”

“It couldn’t have been that bad,” James argued.

“Jamie,” Teddy chided him in a small voice, one hand on his arm. “You were bleeding _a lot._ It took a whole team to stabilize you. It’ll take your body time to fully recover.”

“Two months?” James asked, then looked at the Healer.

He was about to complain more, but the glare she was giving him made him sink further into the bed and the pillows. He stared up at the ceiling and laid there silently, swallowing with a wince. For a moment he was worried he’d taste iron, but there was nothing.

“He should be alright for now,” the Healer was saying to Harry. “Let him rest. Come find me if his condition takes a turn, otherwise I’ll be back in a few hours with his medicine.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

James watched the Healer leave the room before looking at Harry. “Is everyone else mad at me?”

Harry sighed, petting back James’ hair and making him pull a face. “They’re just worried. You’ve been out for… well, it’s been a while. The only reason your mum left the room is because Lily wanted to pick something up and asked her to go along. The only reason no one else is in the room is because your condition is currently too fragile to deal with more than a few of us. So we settled on the people who wouldn’t stress you out.”

“Thanks,” James said, and Harry smiled.

He glanced at Teddy before looking back at James. “I’m going to give you a minute. You probably have questions, and I’m not the one who should be answering them all.” He smiled at Teddy, backing away from the bed.

James watched him leave the room before rolling his head on the pillow to look at Teddy. He turned onto his side to see the Auror better, tucking his right arm beneath the pillow at his head and reaching his left hand out.

“Ted,” he coaxed, and Teddy winced, hesitantly reaching his right hand out for James to squeeze. “What happened? How long has it been?”

Teddy didn’t meet his eye, though he continued to hold James’ hand. “It’s been a few days,” he confessed, a deep frown on his face. “I… I don’t know what happened. I got so angry when you got hurt, I just blacked out. When everything cleared up, those dark wizards were unconscious, everything hurt.” He paused, then looked at James. “Scorpius said I got hit with something like five stunning spells, and a dozen hexes and curses. I didn’t feel a single thing, and I didn’t pass out until Scorpius forced me to drink a draught of peace to calm me down. That made people uncomfortable…”

“Because you were able to take so many spells without going down?” James asked, anxiously squeezing Teddy’s hand. “Are you feeling okay?”

Teddy shook his head. “You’re the one who was coughing blood.”

“I’m not the one who got hit with five stunning spells,” James laughed weakly. “I’m just worried.”

“I’m alright,” Teddy promised. He pulled his seat closer, reaching his left hand out to rake back James’ hair. James shut his eyes to enjoy the tender touch. “The Wizengamot called a meeting to discuss me. They were uncomfortable when I told them I couldn’t remember most of the fight. I said I blacked out at some point and when I came to the dark witches and wizards were down. Evidently I nearly killed them, but I can’t remember it.”

“They thought something was wrong with you,” James guessed, and Teddy nodded, looking sheepish.

“I feel fine though. I mean, I do now. Just… seeing you get hurt like that, I —” He pressed his lips into a tight line, his pale eyes watery.

He didn’t say anything else, but James didn’t need to hear any more. He could tell how Teddy felt through the shade of his hair, how panicked and scared he’d been, how worried he still was. It made the warmth in James’ chest a little steadier, and he couldn’t help smiling sleepily.

“I don’t regret it,” James said, squeezing Teddy’s hand when he winced at the confession. “I don’t. I’m happy I could protect you.”

Teddy stared at him in devastation. “I should be the one protecting you,” he insisted, and James laughed again.

“You did. You fought off seven powerful dark wizards and witches all on your own just so they wouldn’t hurt me again. We protected each other. That’s what we’re supposed to do, isn’t it?”

Teddy looked even more miserable. He kept brushing aside James’ hair so it wouldn’t fall back into his eyes, and his touch was barely noticeable. As if he was scared he’d hurt James if he touched too hard.

“You did good, Auror Lupin,” James praised and Teddy’s lips broke into a weak smile.

“You weren’t too bad yourself, Auror Potter.”

James chuckled. “I’m going to be out of commission for a while, though. Promise you won’t replace me while I’m gone?”

“Never,” Teddy said firmly, pulling the blankets higher over James and tucking them around him. “Try to get some sleep, okay? Everyone’s gonna want to talk to you later, so you may as well rest up now while you still can.”

“Yeah, you make a good argument,” James hummed, his eyes drooping. “I’m still pretty tired anyway. Sleep would do me good.” He met Teddy’s eye, smiling when he noted the color had darkened to a soft brown that mirrored his own. “Can you stay in the room with me?”

Teddy seemed to consider it before nodding. “I don’t know if the Healer’s will allow me to stay too long, but they might let me if I say you requested it.”

“Yeah,” James agreed, shutting his eyes. “Thank you.”

He was partially unconscious when he felt Teddy’s hand go through his hair again. He could’ve sworn he felt the sensation of warm lips press against his forehead, and a hand on his face. Followed by a whisper he barely heard.

_“Thank you for saving my life; and thank you for not dying in the process. I love you.”_

* * *

_**This fic was inspired by @/bkhijk's post[here.](https://bkhijk.tumblr.com/post/623289039330639872/hi-this-is-based-on-this-post-i-did-with)** _


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